Regardless, there was no lying to Charli. "I mean, it was like I knew, simply knew, we'd be good together. And the man can kiss, I mean, not too much lip, not too much tongue, not too much touching, but just enough to set my damn skin on fire. Girl, I felt like a five-foot-four-inch melting chocolate woman. Too bad."
Charli laughed. Shanice could hear her sister clapping hilariously. Until she'd slipped in the "too bad" bit.
"Whoa, wait. What do you mean, too bad?"
"Girl, there's no way Massimo and I can be together. But I have to admit the boy's got
too much charm for his own good, and damn if I'm seriously unimmune to it." "Boy?"
"Charli, he's what, thirty maybe?"
"A bit older than that, but so what? You're only forty-two, Shan."
"Are you kidding me? Girlfriend, I'm so not the rob-the-cradle type. We can leave that to my ex."
"Shan, are you still tripping over that? Just because your ex-boyfriend was a dog doesn't mean you'll be painted with the same brush simply because Massimo is younger than you. Besides, you don't look a day over thirty-two yourself. And, if you're not interested in Massimo, then why are you going to lunch with him again? He really digs you Charli. Has for a long time."
"It's just lunch, Charli, not marriage."
"Don't lead him on, Shanice." Charli's tone went hard, the words are serious. Shanice's brows rose. She couldn't recall her sister ever speaking to her so protectively. What Charli was this on the other end of the phone line?
"Lead him on? Girlfriend, please. It's been so long since I've been in the game I don't even know how to do that to a man. Besides, I'm actually just looking forward to enjoying conversation with someone other than you," she chuckled.
"Aw, forget you," Charli quipped, sounding like her old self again.
"Besides, Charli, I'm sure he'd prefer to be serious with someone his own age."
"Huh? Why? What's someone his own age have that you don't have? You're damn fine, you take good care of yourself when you're not working yourself to the bone, and..."
Yeah, and her ass was spreading more every week in testament to how much time she spent at the office instead of walking or at the gym. Shanice almost turned to look behind herself and see how much further south her butt cheeks were than the rest of her body. Maybe Charli was right. Maybe she did work too much?
"Shan, are you listening to me?"
"Huh? What?"
"Damn it, woman, you tuned me out. Fine, I'll just have to repeat myself. I said you need to spend time enjoying your life. You've got a great career with the corner office and a floor full of people who report directly to you. Not to mention a huge mini-mansion in which nobody totters around but you."
"I do not totter!"
"Oh sure, miss the point, why dontcha!"
"Point taken, Charli." Shanice felt her cheeks heat. They'd covered this subject way too many times in the past few years and she hated how right Charli was. Hated to admit that she was indeed beginning to feel lonely. But she wouldn't admit it to God himself. She cut across Charli's fussing. "Look, Charli, I know you care about me, but my choice in men has not been stellar. I don't plan on jumping into anything with anyone, including Massimo. It's just a meal in broad daylight. And I meant it when I said I doubt he'd be serious about me anyway, so we'd have something in common."
"How can you say that about a man you don't know?"
Silence.
"You're right. That's really not fair is it?"
"Damn straight, Shanice. If you taught me anything, big sis, it's to give people a chance until they give you a reason not to."
Obviously, she'd taught her sister well. And now it was coming back to bite her in the ass. But Shanice couldn't complain. Charli had indeed turned out to be quite a level headed young lady.
"Just enjoy the attention, Shan. You never know where it might lead. Could turn out to be the ride of your life."
Ride? As in hot, sweaty pounding-between-her-legs, ride? No, no, no. She shouldn't be thinking like that. She had work to do. Massimo was simply a welcome distraction for lunch in between meetings. Nothing more, right?
Yeah, right.
